East Bay football star firms up commitment to Cal

Takkarist McKinley is staying with his commitment to play football next fall for Cal, according to Kennedy-Richmond dean of athletics Mike Bobino.

"It's done. It's Cal," Bobino said Tuesday. "It won't change."

McKinley, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end, made a campus visit to Cal last weekend and decided Monday he would follow through on his original commitment to play for the Bears.

He is rated as a three-star prospect by Scout.com, and Bobino predicted, "He'll be the next Jevon Kearse."

McKinley visited Washington State two weeks ago and had a good experience there, Bobino said. WSU coach Mike Leach was scheduled to visit McKinley on Tuesday afternoon, but Bobino said the decision won't change.

"It's going to be Cal," he said.

Cal still has three "soft" verbal commitments who haven't made final decisions.

Offensive guard Cameron Hunt, a four-star prospect from Centennial-Corona who declared for Cal months ago, is being pursued hard by Oregon. Hunt said he will announce his school on signing day, Feb. 6.

Also still being pulled by other schools are defensive back Darius Allensworth and outside linebacker Johnny Ragin III, both three-star prospects. Allensworth, from Heritage-Menifee, visited WSU two weeks ago. Ragin, from Wilsonville, Ore., is a late recruiting target of Oregon.